title: Misperceptions of ovarian cancer risk in women at increased risk for hereditary ovarian cancer.
abstract: This study assessed the sociodemographic, medical and psychological predictors of accuracy of perceived risk in women at increased genetic risk for ovarian cancer. Women participating in a large cohort study who were at increased risk of ovarian and fallopian tube cancer, had no personal history of cancer and had ≥1 ovary in situ at cohort enrollment, were eligible. Women completed self-administered questionnaires and attended an interview at enrollment. Of 2,868 women unaffected with cancer at cohort enrollment, 561 were eligible. 335 women (59.8 %) overestimated their ovarian cancer risk, while 215 women (38.4 %) accurately estimated their risk, and 10 (1.8 %) underestimated it. Women who did not know their mutation status were more likely to overestimate their risk (OR 1.74, 95 % CI 1.10, 2.77, p = 0.018), as were those with higher cancer-specific anxiety (OR 1.05, 95 % CI 1.02, 1.08, p < 0.001) and/or a mother who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OR 1.98, 95 % CI 1.23, 3.18, p = 0.005). Amongst the group of women who did not know their mutation status, 63.3 % overestimated their risk and the mean perceived lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer was 42.1 %, compared to a mean objective risk of 6.4 %. A large number of women at increased risk for ovarian cancer overestimate their risk. This is of concern especially in women who are at moderately increased risk only; for this sub-group of women, interventions are needed to reduce potentially unnecessary psychological distress and minimise engagement in unnecessary surgery or screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia, b.meiser@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meiser
authors.forename: Melanie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Phyllis N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Butow
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bickerstaffe
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: Kelly-Anne
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires